Myth-busting: What is 'asylum shopping'? Belgium is no longer granting asylum to people whose applications were accepted or refused in other EU Member States as a way to stop 'asylum shopping'. What does the term mean?

Belgium's latest migration measures aim to crack down on 'asylum shopping' by refusing IP to people who have already applied in another EU Member State.

But what does 'asylum shopping' actually mean?

Interview with @thomaswillekens.bsky.social from @vluchtelingenwerk.bsky.social:

1,000 Belgian activists blockade Israeli-linked arms companies Around 1,000 Belgian activists blockaded two companies linked to Israel’s arms trade, demanding an end to European complicity in the Gaza genocide

1,000 Stop Arming Israel activists disrupted activities at two companies in Belgium on Monday.

The activists are calling on Belgium to implement a "genuine" arms embargo and demand the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Not a single woman has been screened for breast cancer in Brussels this year

Not a single woman has been screened for breast cancer in Brussels this year

'We should be afraid' - Amnesty International's damning report on human rights in Belgium "Persistent" human rights violations in Belgium are the result of deliberate governmental policies, Amnesty International has warned.

There are over 12,000 court rulings declaring that Belgium has violated national and international law

Amnesty International's latest report condemns this "systematic violation of human rights"

'Stop criticising each other and give us a solution!' - Anderlecht locals lose faith in politics Locals in the Cureghem district of Anderlecht are at their wit's end with drug violence and social neglect. How are different groups responding?

"Stop criticising each other and give us a solution!"

A look into local efforts to make a difference in Anderlecht in the midst of unrelenting drug violence.

Some residents are rejecting mainstream politics while others prefer to focus on solidarity.

'Europe needs a real foreign policy' - Jeffrey Sachs slates EU reliance on US Move NATO somewhere else. As Trump and Putin negotiate Ukraine's future and the transatlantic relationship sours, a leading US economist says now is the time for European autonomy.

"Move NATO somewhere else." As the transatlantic relationship sours, Jeffrey Sachs says now is the time for European autonomy.

www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/1...

Brussels drug violence: Is the 'hotspot' strategy failing? A spate of shootings last year led to the creation of the 'hotspot' strategy. Has the measure made a difference to security in Brussels?

Almost all of last week's shootings took place at officially designated 'hotspots', but has the label made any difference to Brussels' handle on drug violence?:

www.brusselstimes.com/brussels/143...

NEW: The gunmen who fled into a metro tunnel on Wednesday were "extremely prepared" ahead of time

'The complicity needs to end': The EU's hand in violence in DR Congo "Rwanda kills, Congo bleeds", but this is "more than a quarrel between two countries".

"When you make a deal with a country accused over and over again of violating Congolese sovereignty, destabilising the region and plundering raw materials, you are complicit in what happens afterwards."

Ryanair CEO criticises Zaventem for 'hopelessly uncompetitive' approach The low-cost Irish airline will launch four new flights this summer.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary says he has "absolutely no qualms whatsoever" about his airline's environmental impact, wants the EU to do away with aviation tax

10,000 and counting: Legal Helpdesk for refugees hits bittersweet milestone "We still believe Belgium has the capacity to show warmth and solidarity with migrants and refugees."

"A huge number, but a sad number" - this is what @thomaswillekens.bsky.social said about the Legal Helpdesk's 10,000th case. Bittersweet because it started as a "temporary" measure in 2022.

Read more:

'I hope they get this right' - Ukrainian Ambassador on Trump's bid for peace The Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU reflects on the war against Russia as Trump enters the White House and global politics undergoes enormous shifts.

"Russia's current leadership is not interested in a strong, stable neighbourhood. It is doing whatever it can to drive a wedge between EU unity."

My interview with Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU:

www.brusselstimes.com/1396747/i-ho...

The working class youths who defied stereotypes on New Year's Eve "If young people cause trouble in Uccle, we call it a crisis of adolescence. But if young people cause trouble in Marolles, we call it delinquency."

"If young people cause trouble in Uccle, we call it a crisis of adolescence. But if young people cause trouble in Marolles, we call it delinquency."

www.brusselstimes.com/brussels/139...

Who is responsible for the migrants evacuated from Pacheco? Some 30 people were evacuated from the site and are difficult to trace. The majority of relevant government agencies have shunned responsibility for the group.

The Pacheco evacuation is considered "just another cycle" of displacement suffered by migrants in Brussels. Since 30 October this group has dispersed across the city with no signposting about what to do next.

www.brusselstimes.com/brussels-2/1...

"Instead of using this momentum to help us rebuild Syria, governments jump at the chance to get rid of us."

Syrians in Belgium and across the EU are being met with opportunism rather than solidarity by European governments.

Compassionate reporting from my colleague @laurenhwalker.bsky.social 👇

Who are the Brussels police helping the homeless? "The police are seen as a symbol of authority and oppression. We try to be the other side of that."

How does a city manage an exploding homelessness crisis without resorting to brutal tactics?

The Brussels Times went on patrol with Team Herscham, a pioneering police unit treating the homeless as human beings rather than eyesores to be moved along.

www.brusselstimes.com/magazine/134...

Hello!

This is The Brussels Times official Bluesky account.

Follow us to keep up with local and global news from the capital of Europe 🌍

www.brusselstimes.com